Mumbai based documentary selected for Cannes co-production challenge

MUMBAI: A Mumbai based production house Filament Pictures has been selected to pitch their documentary The Rat Race on rat killers in Mumbai at the co-production challenge at Cannes.

Proposals are accepted from around the world and only 6 are selected and given all of seven minutes to present their films to a jury consisting of some of the biggest names in the documentary world. 120 commissioning editors from the major broadcast networks are seated in the audience to catch a glimpse of the most promising documentaries that will be made in 2010.

Filament Pictures founding director Miriam Chandy Menacherry says, "It is an unbelievable opportunity to showcase the work we have been doing over eight months to the biggest broadcasters worldwide. The Rat Race is truly a film that captures the never say die work culture of Mumbai, India’s commercial capital and I am truly honored that I can make this pitch."

Previous winners of the Cannes Co Production Challenge have gone on to bag prestigious awards at Golden Globe, BAFTA and this year Waltz with Bashir had several Academy Award nominations.

"We really are a very small production house that does one or two films a year and we will be pitching against very big productions with deep pockets but I believe that there is a new wave in documentary filmmaking in India that is able to make a mark internationally and my film I hope will be one of them," Menacherry added.